Study No. 9 The Pattern Chapters 8 & 9
1 ¶ Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
This study must take a quick look at the old testament Tabernacle. Most of us do not benefit from having a rich Jewish background … so we have to go back and 'take a look' so that we can gain a greater appreciation of it.
The writer of Hebrews has been talking about the fact that Jesus has come to fulfill the old testament pictures and prophecies concerning Himself. The Hebrew Christians to whom he is writing were slipping back into Judaism. The temptation to go back would, no doubt, have been great. So the Apostle Paul has been laying down a great deal of detail to prove that the old system was a picture, and only a picture, pointing to Christ. He warns against the danger of allowing that truth to slip away.
In our study of Hebrews, this chapter is directing our thoughts back to the old testament tabernacle so that we can understand that it is a picture and pattern of the real tabernacle (actually called a Sanctuary) in heaven and, as such, give us a special appreciation for something that is literally happening, even as we are reading these words.
In our last study it was emphasized that Jesus was a priest of a different order. We noted that Jewish priests served only the Jewish nation. Melchizedek served others of any background who were in his area. He pre-dated Israel, that is to say, his was a priesthood that existed before Israel ever did. And this tells us that Jesus is a priest of more than just Israel, but like Melchizedek, He serves others.
Verse 3 points out that priests have to have something to offer, therefore, Jesus, being a priest must also have something to offer. By the way, verse 3 also mentions both gifts and sacrifices. Whether a gift or a sacrifice, the offering could be an animal. It was called a sacrifice if it was something that was required for a head of a household to do in behalf of their family. It was called a gift it was something not required, but was being offered as a freewill offering to God. This is a little bit like the phrase, 'tithes and offerings'. When we give ten percent, that is called a tithe. When we go beyond that, it is called an offering. Revenue Canada does not know the difference and they call it all 'contributions'.
Verses 4 and 5 remind us that Jesus would not be a priest if He had remained living down here. Why? No priests ever came from the tribe of Judah. Then the writer goes on to inform us that the Jewish priests, whether they knew it or not, were performing a function that was a replica of what goes on in heaven.
Verses 6-8 are telling us that the Jewish sacrificial system, even when it was first put into place was never intended to be a permanent thing. The Jews thought it was permanent. They did not realize that it was merely a shadow of something greater. The ministry of Jesus supersedes the ministry of Judaism in every respect. Why? Because it is real, not merely a picture or shadow.
The 'shadow' ministry of the priests was performed as a 'covenant', an agreement between the people and God. But, as we will read a bit further in Hebrews, the sacrificial system was only symbolic. It could not atone for sin. It could only picture atonement. According to the writer of Hebrews … this makes it faulty (verses 7-9). We needed a covenant that would actually do something with our debt of sin.
Verses 10 - 13 describe this new covenant. The law will not be external. It will be written in the heart. An external set of laws, even if the are all obeyed and none broken, has no power to change the heart … only the external actions.
We need to pause for a moment … since obeying the covenant of law did not and could not save anyone … how were people actually saved?
Salvation has always been a matter of the heart. Even before the new covenant. The old covenant served to point out the need for a heart change.
Ga 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Salvation has to be by faith. It always had to be by faith.
It will be very helpful for us to read Romans 3:28 – 4:5
Some of what the writer is quoting here, has to do with a fulfillment that will happen during the millennial reign of Christ. This is particularly true when He says the new covenant will be with the house of Israel. However, as we will see as we continue our study, we are in the New Covenant in our day. The old Covenant was 'nailed to the cross'.
Col 2:13 ¶ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
So now we move on to chapter 9.
Let's take a look at the pattern … the tabernacle.
8:5 said that Moses was to pay close attention to building it EXACTLY as he was instructed.
Look at some artists conceptions of what the tabernacle must have looked like.
Israelites were to 'camp' around the tabernacle in a specific order. The tabernacle was completely portable. Every part of it was designed to be 'carried' until Israel would stop traveling and set up camp.
There was a fence around the whole thing with only one gate. Just inside the gate was a huge brazen altar. And between it and the tabernacle entrance was a large basin (called the Laver) for washing. (slide 4-7 )
Chapter 9 mentions the furnishings inside the tabernacle.
The 'tent1' was built to have two rooms. The first room was called the holy place. Toward the end of the room was a divider … a curtain called a veil, that marked off the back room called the Holiest of all.
The first room had in it; (3 items)
The second room had in it:
The Tabernacle itself Stands for Jesus – or we could say, His body.
The coverings of the tabernacle were four layers. The first was colored linen, visible from the inside as the ceiling. Next was a covering of goat's hair. Third was a covering of Ram's skin, dyed red. Fourth was a covering of Badger's skin.
The appearance of the whole thing was interesting. The outside, being of badger skin would be quite nondescript or drab.
Isa 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
The inside was lined with linen of blue, purple and scarlet with professional embroidering of angels on them.
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
On the inside it was absolutely beautiful.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the first room:
The lampstand – With its seven lamps (9:1,2)
John 8:12 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
John 12:46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
2Co 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mt 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Re 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, :13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
1John 1:5 ¶ This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
What a marvelous 'shadow' or picture of Jesus. So, the priest would enter the tabernacle … enter Christ, so to speak … and discover that He is the light. We as believer-priests are 'in Christ' and in Him is no darkness at all.
Across the room, the table of Shewbread (or Showbread).
John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
Just as the light shows us right from wrong and clearly shows us how and where to walk in this world, so Jesus, the bread of life … keeps us alive spiritually.
Ac 17:28 "for in Him we live and move and have our being, ...
The Altar of incense, next to the room dividing veil. . .
represents prayer, communication with the Father. As the priest put the incense in the bowl, lit it and carried to the Altar and placed it there next to the second veil, the smoke (fragrance) would spread around and would reach beyond the veil to the Holiest place. In addition, once a year the high priest would carry the censer to the second room and place it on the Mercy Seat. Before entering, he would confess his own sins, offer a sacrifice … tie a rope around his ankle … then go behind the veil in the holiest place … into the presence of God. He was wearing a robe that had bells around the bottom hem. Priests in the first room would be able to hear them jingling as he move about. If he had some unconfessed sin that he was hiding, he would be struck dead. The other priests would have to pull him out by the rope.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We have been told that the old tabernacle is picture of the real one. Look at this verse:
Re 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
In the second room (9:3-5)
Partitioned by a veil. Later, when the temple was built … all of the same characteristics of the tabernacle were included. This means there was a Holy place and a Most Holy place there as well. There was also a veil separating the two rooms.
We read this in Matthew:
Mr 15:38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. What is significant here? Jesus, our high priest entered the Holiest of all … tore the veil in two … and opened the way for us to approach the Holy God without fear!
The Ark of the Covenant. I think this is the heart of God. Inside of God is life … the dead stick that budded with life. Inside of God is on-going life – the manna. Inside of God is holiness – the ten commandments. On the top of the Ark --- God's mercy. Golden angels are bending to look into the box … Ex 25:20 "And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
1Pe 1:12 ... unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
It was from between these two angels that God spoke to Moses and gave him all of the many regulations that became the Jewish religion.
The 'order of Service'. Verse 6
We noted earlier that the tabernacle represents the body of Christ, and so it does. But in a very special sense, the church is the body of Christ.
1Co 12:27 ¶ You are the body of Christ, and members individually. If we follow the 'imagery' or symbolical picture that the tabernacle represents, as believers, we are said to be “in Christ”.
Ro 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Ro 12:5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
So, picture the tabernacle as being Christ. Picture believer-priests entering the tabernacle. Now they are in Christ, so to speak. Picture the whole church entering the tabernacle … now we are one body ….in Christ. So picture all of us in the tabernacle. We are all inside … but something looks different. There is no veil. We can come right up to God! That's the picture! God is light. We walk toward that end of the tabernacle and we are in the light of God.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Verses 7-10 These verses continue to remind the Hebrews and ourselves that the whole tabernacle thing was all an illustration, a picture of the salvation that was to come. Verse 10 goes as far as to say … if a person came with a guilty conscience for what he had done, offered the appropriate sacrifice … he could still go home feeling guilty. Add to this the fact that all of the rituals were external washings and regulations … and we realize they went home 'symbolically' cleansed. There was nothing in the whole ritual that established a close and intimate relationship with God. Very simply … you sin. You go to the priest. Offer a sacrifice, go home have done your duty.
Verses 11-28 If there was going to be a relationship with God, it would not come through law. As an Old Testament saint, the Psalmist David spoke of relationship. In the following verses 'law' means all of scripture that David had up to that point in history.
Ps 1:1 ¶ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Ps 119:97 ¶ Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 ¶ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.
101 ¶ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.
102 ¶ I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.
103 ¶ How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
David talked about consciousness of sin.
Ps 119:9 ¶ How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 ¶ With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 ¶ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 12 ¶ Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
You can see that relationship is a matter of the heart. David did not want to sin. By meditating in the Word of God, he would become even more sin-conscious. The instructions for right living become more apparent. What about sins that he had already committed? For most part he could do nothing else but sacrifice, and then change his behaviour. For some he had to bear a horrible consequence.
That was old testament. What is different now?
Heb 10:16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"
It sounds as though David, even in old Testament times, had God's word written on his heart. Maybe that was the exception and not the rule. Today we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who, along with our taking in God's word, will create new desires to follow God … from our hearts.
The New Covenant, like a Will, comes into force after a death. The covenant … which is Salvation by grace through faith, sins washed away by the blood of Christ, the will to serve God ingrained into our hearts … came into effect the moment Christ died.
Verses 21 – 22. Almost everything was sprinkled with blood … because without the shedding of blood there is no remission (This is God's own law). However, even though everything was sprinkled … they were only cleansed symbolically, not actually.
Verse 24 – Christ entered the actual 'sanctuary' or tabernacle, or temple Holiest place … once, for all time. He completed the picture that had existed all those years.
Verse 28 – When the Old Testament priest would enter once a year into the holiest place … and then after a while, come back out … it might have been accompanied by a sigh of relief that he came out alive. But there was nothing else of significance of his coming back out. When Jesus comes back … He
will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
1Exodus 35 to 40 contains all of the details for the tabernacle.
1 ¶ Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
This study must take a quick look at the old testament Tabernacle. Most of us do not benefit from having a rich Jewish background … so we have to go back and 'take a look' so that we can gain a greater appreciation of it.
The writer of Hebrews has been talking about the fact that Jesus has come to fulfill the old testament pictures and prophecies concerning Himself. The Hebrew Christians to whom he is writing were slipping back into Judaism. The temptation to go back would, no doubt, have been great. So the Apostle Paul has been laying down a great deal of detail to prove that the old system was a picture, and only a picture, pointing to Christ. He warns against the danger of allowing that truth to slip away.
In our study of Hebrews, this chapter is directing our thoughts back to the old testament tabernacle so that we can understand that it is a picture and pattern of the real tabernacle (actually called a Sanctuary) in heaven and, as such, give us a special appreciation for something that is literally happening, even as we are reading these words.
In our last study it was emphasized that Jesus was a priest of a different order. We noted that Jewish priests served only the Jewish nation. Melchizedek served others of any background who were in his area. He pre-dated Israel, that is to say, his was a priesthood that existed before Israel ever did. And this tells us that Jesus is a priest of more than just Israel, but like Melchizedek, He serves others.
Verse 3 points out that priests have to have something to offer, therefore, Jesus, being a priest must also have something to offer. By the way, verse 3 also mentions both gifts and sacrifices. Whether a gift or a sacrifice, the offering could be an animal. It was called a sacrifice if it was something that was required for a head of a household to do in behalf of their family. It was called a gift it was something not required, but was being offered as a freewill offering to God. This is a little bit like the phrase, 'tithes and offerings'. When we give ten percent, that is called a tithe. When we go beyond that, it is called an offering. Revenue Canada does not know the difference and they call it all 'contributions'.
Verses 4 and 5 remind us that Jesus would not be a priest if He had remained living down here. Why? No priests ever came from the tribe of Judah. Then the writer goes on to inform us that the Jewish priests, whether they knew it or not, were performing a function that was a replica of what goes on in heaven.
Verses 6-8 are telling us that the Jewish sacrificial system, even when it was first put into place was never intended to be a permanent thing. The Jews thought it was permanent. They did not realize that it was merely a shadow of something greater. The ministry of Jesus supersedes the ministry of Judaism in every respect. Why? Because it is real, not merely a picture or shadow.
The 'shadow' ministry of the priests was performed as a 'covenant', an agreement between the people and God. But, as we will read a bit further in Hebrews, the sacrificial system was only symbolic. It could not atone for sin. It could only picture atonement. According to the writer of Hebrews … this makes it faulty (verses 7-9). We needed a covenant that would actually do something with our debt of sin.
Verses 10 - 13 describe this new covenant. The law will not be external. It will be written in the heart. An external set of laws, even if the are all obeyed and none broken, has no power to change the heart … only the external actions.
We need to pause for a moment … since obeying the covenant of law did not and could not save anyone … how were people actually saved?
Salvation has always been a matter of the heart. Even before the new covenant. The old covenant served to point out the need for a heart change.
Ga 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Salvation has to be by faith. It always had to be by faith.
It will be very helpful for us to read Romans 3:28 – 4:5
Some of what the writer is quoting here, has to do with a fulfillment that will happen during the millennial reign of Christ. This is particularly true when He says the new covenant will be with the house of Israel. However, as we will see as we continue our study, we are in the New Covenant in our day. The old Covenant was 'nailed to the cross'.
Col 2:13 ¶ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
So now we move on to chapter 9.
Let's take a look at the pattern … the tabernacle.
8:5 said that Moses was to pay close attention to building it EXACTLY as he was instructed.
Look at some artists conceptions of what the tabernacle must have looked like.
Israelites were to 'camp' around the tabernacle in a specific order. The tabernacle was completely portable. Every part of it was designed to be 'carried' until Israel would stop traveling and set up camp.
There was a fence around the whole thing with only one gate. Just inside the gate was a huge brazen altar. And between it and the tabernacle entrance was a large basin (called the Laver) for washing. (slide 4-7 )
Chapter 9 mentions the furnishings inside the tabernacle.
The 'tent1' was built to have two rooms. The first room was called the holy place. Toward the end of the room was a divider … a curtain called a veil, that marked off the back room called the Holiest of all.
The first room had in it; (3 items)
- the lampstand
- the altar of incense
- the table of Showbread
The second room had in it:
- The golden censer
- the Ark of the Covenant, containing
- A golden pot of manna
- Aaron's rod that 'budded'
- The two tablets of the ten commandments
- the top of the Ark of the Covenant was called the Mercy Seat.
- Fashioned and placed on the Mercy Seat were two golden angels, shaped as though they were trying to look into the Ark.
- The Censer of Incense was brought in once a year and placed on the Mercy Seat. Otherwise it remained on the Altar of Incense, just on the other side of the veil.
The Tabernacle itself Stands for Jesus – or we could say, His body.
The coverings of the tabernacle were four layers. The first was colored linen, visible from the inside as the ceiling. Next was a covering of goat's hair. Third was a covering of Ram's skin, dyed red. Fourth was a covering of Badger's skin.
The appearance of the whole thing was interesting. The outside, being of badger skin would be quite nondescript or drab.
Isa 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
The inside was lined with linen of blue, purple and scarlet with professional embroidering of angels on them.
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
On the inside it was absolutely beautiful.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the first room:
The lampstand – With its seven lamps (9:1,2)
John 8:12 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
John 12:46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
2Co 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mt 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Re 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, :13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
1John 1:5 ¶ This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
What a marvelous 'shadow' or picture of Jesus. So, the priest would enter the tabernacle … enter Christ, so to speak … and discover that He is the light. We as believer-priests are 'in Christ' and in Him is no darkness at all.
Across the room, the table of Shewbread (or Showbread).
John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
Just as the light shows us right from wrong and clearly shows us how and where to walk in this world, so Jesus, the bread of life … keeps us alive spiritually.
Ac 17:28 "for in Him we live and move and have our being, ...
The Altar of incense, next to the room dividing veil. . .
represents prayer, communication with the Father. As the priest put the incense in the bowl, lit it and carried to the Altar and placed it there next to the second veil, the smoke (fragrance) would spread around and would reach beyond the veil to the Holiest place. In addition, once a year the high priest would carry the censer to the second room and place it on the Mercy Seat. Before entering, he would confess his own sins, offer a sacrifice … tie a rope around his ankle … then go behind the veil in the holiest place … into the presence of God. He was wearing a robe that had bells around the bottom hem. Priests in the first room would be able to hear them jingling as he move about. If he had some unconfessed sin that he was hiding, he would be struck dead. The other priests would have to pull him out by the rope.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
We have been told that the old tabernacle is picture of the real one. Look at this verse:
Re 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
In the second room (9:3-5)
Partitioned by a veil. Later, when the temple was built … all of the same characteristics of the tabernacle were included. This means there was a Holy place and a Most Holy place there as well. There was also a veil separating the two rooms.
We read this in Matthew:
Mr 15:38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. What is significant here? Jesus, our high priest entered the Holiest of all … tore the veil in two … and opened the way for us to approach the Holy God without fear!
The Ark of the Covenant. I think this is the heart of God. Inside of God is life … the dead stick that budded with life. Inside of God is on-going life – the manna. Inside of God is holiness – the ten commandments. On the top of the Ark --- God's mercy. Golden angels are bending to look into the box … Ex 25:20 "And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
1Pe 1:12 ... unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
It was from between these two angels that God spoke to Moses and gave him all of the many regulations that became the Jewish religion.
The 'order of Service'. Verse 6
We noted earlier that the tabernacle represents the body of Christ, and so it does. But in a very special sense, the church is the body of Christ.
1Co 12:27 ¶ You are the body of Christ, and members individually. If we follow the 'imagery' or symbolical picture that the tabernacle represents, as believers, we are said to be “in Christ”.
Ro 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Ro 12:5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
So, picture the tabernacle as being Christ. Picture believer-priests entering the tabernacle. Now they are in Christ, so to speak. Picture the whole church entering the tabernacle … now we are one body ….in Christ. So picture all of us in the tabernacle. We are all inside … but something looks different. There is no veil. We can come right up to God! That's the picture! God is light. We walk toward that end of the tabernacle and we are in the light of God.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Verses 7-10 These verses continue to remind the Hebrews and ourselves that the whole tabernacle thing was all an illustration, a picture of the salvation that was to come. Verse 10 goes as far as to say … if a person came with a guilty conscience for what he had done, offered the appropriate sacrifice … he could still go home feeling guilty. Add to this the fact that all of the rituals were external washings and regulations … and we realize they went home 'symbolically' cleansed. There was nothing in the whole ritual that established a close and intimate relationship with God. Very simply … you sin. You go to the priest. Offer a sacrifice, go home have done your duty.
Verses 11-28 If there was going to be a relationship with God, it would not come through law. As an Old Testament saint, the Psalmist David spoke of relationship. In the following verses 'law' means all of scripture that David had up to that point in history.
Ps 1:1 ¶ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Ps 119:97 ¶ Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 ¶ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.
101 ¶ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.
102 ¶ I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.
103 ¶ How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
David talked about consciousness of sin.
Ps 119:9 ¶ How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 ¶ With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 ¶ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 12 ¶ Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
You can see that relationship is a matter of the heart. David did not want to sin. By meditating in the Word of God, he would become even more sin-conscious. The instructions for right living become more apparent. What about sins that he had already committed? For most part he could do nothing else but sacrifice, and then change his behaviour. For some he had to bear a horrible consequence.
That was old testament. What is different now?
Heb 10:16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"
It sounds as though David, even in old Testament times, had God's word written on his heart. Maybe that was the exception and not the rule. Today we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who, along with our taking in God's word, will create new desires to follow God … from our hearts.
The New Covenant, like a Will, comes into force after a death. The covenant … which is Salvation by grace through faith, sins washed away by the blood of Christ, the will to serve God ingrained into our hearts … came into effect the moment Christ died.
Verses 21 – 22. Almost everything was sprinkled with blood … because without the shedding of blood there is no remission (This is God's own law). However, even though everything was sprinkled … they were only cleansed symbolically, not actually.
Verse 24 – Christ entered the actual 'sanctuary' or tabernacle, or temple Holiest place … once, for all time. He completed the picture that had existed all those years.
Verse 28 – When the Old Testament priest would enter once a year into the holiest place … and then after a while, come back out … it might have been accompanied by a sigh of relief that he came out alive. But there was nothing else of significance of his coming back out. When Jesus comes back … He
will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
1Exodus 35 to 40 contains all of the details for the tabernacle.